Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School

Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School is one of the average-sized all-grades campuss in BENTON HARBOR, Michigan, run under Countryside Academy, with 386 students on its rolls from grades 2 through 12. That puts it 37% above the typical public school in Michigan, which averages around 281 students.

Within Countryside Academy, which oversees 2 schools and 770 students, Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School records that the largest single group is Black, at 57% of enrollment. The remainder looks like 31% Hispanic, 9% White, 2% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 13% Black, putting the school's mix noticeably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School has 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.9:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.3:1, putting Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 76% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is north of Berrien County's rate of about 55%.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Berrien County put the typical household earns roughly $65,425 per year, roughly 31% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. In all, Berrien County runs 75 public schools (combined enrollment of about 21,027 students), of which Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Countryside Academy Elementary, around 0.1 miles off. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area. Countryside Academy MiddleHigh School operates as a public charter school, meaning it is publicly funded but governed independently of the surrounding district's traditional schools.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged up 20%: 323 students in 2018 compared to 386 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 20% to 9% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 17.9:1 in 2018 to 15.9:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.